Chlorine 'likely' used in February chemical attack in Syria, watchdog says

16/05/2018

The Douma attack triggered a wave of punitive missile strikes against alleged chemical weapons facilities in Syria by the United States, Britain and France. The document was also submitted to the Security Council through the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Environmental samples also "demonstrated the unusual presence of chlorine in the local environment", said the organisation, based in The Hague.

Douma probe ongoing: Another OPCW investigative team is now assessing evidence from the Syrian town of Douma to determine whether an April 7 attack that left 40 dead used chlorine and sarin gas.

At least eleven people were treated for breathing difficulties in the Syrian city on February 4, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at the time. Only Syrian government forces are known to have helicopters.

The Syrian government produced a three-page denial of responsibility, and failed to answer a further set of OPCW questions sent on 14 March.

Following delays, the OPCW was allowed to access the Douma site where it gathered more than 100 environmental samples.

Banned chlorine munitions were likely dropped on a Syrian neighborhood in February, an global body on chemical weapons said on Wednesday, after laboratory tests confirmed the presence of the toxic chemical. The scale of the attack prompted the UK, France and the U.S. to mount cruise missile strikes on what it said were Syrian government chemical weapons sites.

Russian Federation and the Syrian regime has refuted claims they carried out the attack, yet repeatedly obstructed and delayed access to the scene by the inspectors, raising suspicions they have tried to destroy evidence.

"I strongly condemn the use of toxic chemicals as weapons by anyone, for any goal and under any circumstances, said the Director General of the OPCW Ahmet üzümcü, commenting on the conclusions of the experts of the organization".

The Director-General stated: "I strongly condemn the use of toxic chemicals as weapons by anyone, for any reason, and in any circumstances".

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